Actress Iyabo Ojo has opened up about why she stood by comedienne Princess during the rape case involving actor Baba Ijesha and a minor.
Speaking in a recent episode of The Goldroom with Iyabo, the mother of two said her support for Princess was rooted in her personal experience as a survivor of sexual abuse.
“I really didn’t control my emotions then because I was outraged by what happened,” she said.
“And I think it’s because I was also coming from that part, where I had gone through whatever she went through multiple times than hers and I just felt like enough is enough. We need to start speaking out for the girl and boy child.”
Iyabo added that she was shocked by the backlash Princess received from some adults after she revealed that Baba Ijesha allegedly molested her 14-year-old foster daughter.
“I was taken aback when I saw adults manipulating the story and even coming for the child and Princess, and that made me know we have a long way to go in Nigeria,” she said.
The 47-year-old noted that she gets more disappointed when entertainers are involved in wrongdoing.
“You’ll notice when I kick, I kick when my fellow entertainers do wrong, because I feel like we are supposed to do right by our people,” she said.
“We cannot be preaching and doing the same bad thing that we’re telling people that is wrong, so for me it gets to me more when a known person does something wrong.”
Baba Ijesha, whose real name is Olanrewaju James, was arrested in April 2021 for sexually assaulting the minor. His arrest followed the release of a CCTV video which showed him in a compromising situation with the girl.
Iyabo Ojo was one of the celebrities who publicly condemned his actions and attended court hearings in support of Princess.
The case also caused a rift in the Yoruba movie industry, with the Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) warning members not to work with Iyabo Ojo and Nkechi Blessing, who also took a firm stance against Baba Ijesha.
Iyabo, however, said she has no regrets standing with Princess and the victim, insisting that justice for children should come before any loyalty to industry colleagues.
